When Beth Jeffers opened Fitness Factor in 1994, she felt God was calling her to start a fitness business that could promote functional workouts.
Almost 30 years later, she feels it’s time to retire from the business.
Jeffers has sold Fitness Factor, located at 515 18th Ave. N., to Chase Taylor, owner of Taylor Made Fitness, a CrossFit gym in Starkville.
Jeffers told The Dispatch she had been looking to sell the business for more than a year but had trouble finding the right buyer to continue her gym’s legacy. She found that person in Taylor.
“I’m 65, so it’s about time,” Jeffers said. “I work a lot of hours, and I still like it, but I was praying that God would send me somebody that cared about people that had some of the similar values that I did and somebody that loves fitness. Chase revisited me a few times about it, and we were able to work things out. It’s a win for him and a win for me.”
Taylor, who started Taylor Made in 2015 and took over operations July 1 at Fitness Factor, said he wants to expand the business to offer a CrossFit option in addition to keeping intact what it already offers.
“I’m originally from Columbus, and it’s always been a passion to bring (fitness) back to my home,” Taylor said. “Beth is in her years of trying to retire and the opportunity just arose. I felt like it was just the right time.”
Taylor does plan to change the name to Taylor Made, but first he wants to familiarize himself with the staff and the members who call the gym home.
“I have to come in behind Beth, and I’ve got to gain trust in the people,” he said. “My point is coming in and just building relationships, and then establishing that trust. Once I do that, I think it would be the right time to rebrand.”
Fitness Factor’s legacy
When Jeffers started Fitness Factor, she said her goal was to innovate how people think about “functional fitness.” That consists of strengthening regularly used muscle groups for simple tasks, such as daily lifting and mobility, rather than workouts that only serve to make people look fit.
“It’s not about how you look,” Jeffers said. “It’s about life, longevity and health reasons. That’s one of the things that I always wanted to portray is that I wanted you to feel comfortable coming into the Fitness Factor. We didn’t really care that you didn’t have the best outfit on or that you were 30 pounds overweight. This is a place where you could feel good, feel better, move better and probably live longer.”
Jeffers also made the gym a place where around 50 daily gym goers come to workout in groups and build relationships, not just to motivate each other, but also to form a cohesive group.
“One time somebody said this is like the ‘Cheers’ of gyms, the bar where everyone knows your name and you feel welcome,” she said. “I think that was kind of one of my missions when I began this business.”
Jean Ann Evans has been attending workout classes at the gym since the year it opened. She said it has become a social hub for those who come, and that no other gym is like it. She plans to continue her membership under Taylor’s ownership.
“You can go anywhere just to exercise and leave and get what you need physically, but she’s built a family,” Evans said. “The Fitness Factor is not just a place to workout, it’s family. It’s been that way from the get-go. It’s never just walking in and walking out. We’ve built camaraderie.”
Jeffers has also been very socially active in Columbus. Over the years, she has held coat and canned food drives to benefit the needy and also hosts the occasional outdoor bootcamp to spread awareness of functional fitness.
“Every year at Christmas we do a wishing tree. We have done stocking stuffers for the Salvation Army. We did canned goods,” she said. “I’ve kind of used my business platform to make people aware of (how to help out).”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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